Technology

Stop, Thief! Before You Rip That CD…

December 12, 2007

Monday, December 31: Read the latest on this case at RIAA Brief: Washington Post Gets It Wrong. Update (12/12 @ 1:10 p.m.): Check out blogger Jeff Graham’s comment: “I think the thing that gets me is the ‘All-holy’ RIAA standing on their pedestal like Jesse Jackson [Heh!] and screaming about how we’re endangering the livelihood [...]

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Bands Seek Cut of Resold Concert Ticket Action

December 7, 2007

In October, I told you that independent British band Radiohead came up with a cool way to create buzz about its latest CD. The band uploaded In Rainbows to its web site and allowed fans to download it for whatever price they wanted to pay. Some paid nothing; others paid “full price.” The music business [...]

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Death to DRM

December 3, 2007

DRM, which stands for digital rights management, is on its deathbed. (Also see Slow March To DRM Free Music Becomes A Sprint) DRM was designed to protect copyright and curb piracy by preventing a user from copying his/her music, even if acquired legally, to multiple devices or computers. But DRM is dying. You may not [...]

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Old Fogie Embraces New Medium…

November 26, 2007

3:47 p.m. PT:…becomes one of the “rockingest nerds on the Net” and dances all the way to the bank. I like reading “resistance is futile” and making-money stories. Check out this one at Wired.com about 68-year-old Doug Morris, chair and CEO of Universal Music Group, which owns Island/Def Jam Records (see reference), among other labels. [...]

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Jermaine Dupri is Right

November 21, 2007

7:25 a.m. PT: The digital music player has enhanced the listening experience for consumers. We can download our favorite tunes for free in some cases, legally or illegally, and we can carry them everywhere in small, compact gadgets. We no longer have to trek to brick-and-mortar stores to buy music on compact disks. We don’t [...]

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Digital Hip Hop

November 19, 2007

10:29 a.m. PT: The key to success in any business is tapping into an untapped or under-served market. Hip hop “mogul” Russell Simmons, reportedly worth $340 million, is trying to capitalize on a growing segment of rap-loving, broadband-equipped black and hispanic web surfers. (Source) As broadband Internet (now the standard in the digital age) becomes [...]

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Can RCRD LBL Save the Music Industry?

November 15, 2007

The music industry is in trouble. Technology news sites and the tech blogosphere are buzzing about a new music blog/business model that might save it. Somebody Has to Pay A company called RCRD LBL (pronounced record label) launched today. Peter Rojas, who founded popular gadget blogs Gizmodo and Engadget, created RCRD LBL to satisfy users’ [...]

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World Between Ears

November 13, 2007

A lot of people have come to see the mp3 player as an extension to their body [...] they won’t leave the house without the device anymore. The music collection that they carry with them is a reflection of their identity and without an mp3 player, a lot of people feel incomplete. More and more [...]

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His Royal Badness, Prince of Litigation

November 7, 2007

In a quest to “reclaim his art on the Internet,” singer and musician Prince is going to sue sites like YouTube and eBay over unauthorized use of his work. Fans (and haters?) upload his videos and auction copies of his CDs and other merchandise in violation of his copyright, he claims. (Source) In a post [...]

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The Mirror of Web 2.0

November 5, 2007

Ever heard the term Web 2.0 and wondered what the heck it meant? Well, it’s complicated. But it’s simple. It depends on your perspective. One of Saturday’s presenters, Judith Howard Ellis, showed a video at the end of her presentation. Earlier this year, I’d watched the same video. Loved it. You’ve probably seen it, too. [...]

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The Long Tail of Classical Music

October 18, 2007

***Scroll down for updates*** Although my MP3 player contains several classical music tracks I find quite pleasing, I don’t listen to nearly enough classical music. The beauty of certain pieces is indescribable so I won’t even try. Classical music listeners know what I’m talking about. Did you know that classical music was the fastest growing [...]

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The Long Tail of Independence

October 10, 2007

***Scroll down for updates*** A long and somewhat rambling post about the long tail as it pertains to independent bands. The Internet has revolutionized retail. It’s also changed the way people work and play. To be sure, the Internet has its drawbacks, but that’s the risk of revolution. The good news is that we’ve only [...]

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Mac or PC?

February 28, 2007

Monday, March 3: I need to do a bit more research on this, but I’m leaning toward the Mac. I’ll wait until after the next software upgrade. I’ll keep you posted. —————————————————————— This year I’m turning 40, celebrating 10 years of sobriety and two years of self-employment, and I may have an exciting personal announcement [...]

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Education, the Global Economy, and You

February 7, 2007

As baby boomers retire, the American workforce will become dumber and dumber… …according to a new report from the Educational Testing Service. Specifically, three factors are converging in a “perfect storm” that is turning the American labor force into a highly illiterate one, profoundly impacting our ability to compete: 1) the educational and skills gap [...]

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Addiction

October 18, 2006

It is our nature to excuse bad behavior by calling it an addiction or blaming it on an addiction. That’s not to say the addiction isn’t real. Being physically or psychologically dependent on a thing — food, drugs, alcohol, pornography, people, whatever — is not pleasant. Before the addiction sets in, it may feel good [...]

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